Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to inflatable, reusable and leak-resistant carriers for transporting, shipping and storing liquid-containing articles and/or breakable articles.
In 2006 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) imposed a 3-ounce restriction for liquids in carry-on airline luggage. This TSA restriction has highlighted the need for a reliable means of transporting bottled liquids in checked luggage. While there are many products and technologies available to protect items against breakage and leakage during commercial transport, they are not practical for consumer use due to size, expense, complexity and/or special equipment requirements.
Currently, passengers traveling with wine, alcohol, perfumes and other liquids must pack them in checked luggage or relinquish them to TSA authorities prior to boarding an aircraft. For passengers unaware or uninformed of the TSA rule, disappointing and costly losses are incurred. According to officials in Florida, the TSA stopped a daily average of about 150 bottles of liquor from being carried onto flights departing from South Florida's three major airports in 2007. This amounts to roughly $2.4 million annually in wasted consumer dollars in Florida alone.
Informed travelers who know of the restrictions are theoretically able to prevent the loss of their liquid articles to authorities by packing them in checked luggage. However, lack of acceptable carriers to transport these items has resulted in reduced purchases made while traveling, and significant risk of breakage, leakage and damage to surrounding articles for those who transport liquids with inadequate protection. For example, a passenger shopping in Italy may refrain from purchasing prized bottles of olive oil or wine for fear that hand-carrying the bottles would result in their confiscation by authorities, and packing the bottles in a suitcase could result in leakage or damage to clothing. It is well known that airlines have begun to require Styrofoam boxes for wine packed in suitcases due to the frequency of broken bottles. However, these Styrofoam containers cannot assure the integrity of bottled liquids, must be opened for inspection, and cannot contain liquids in the event a bottle breaks, cracks or leaks. A carrier that is safe against leaks would eliminate these problems.
Even in the absence of air travel restrictions, a convenient method of protecting liquids and breakables is still needed. Bottled liquids are often cumbersome and heavy, making them difficult to hand-carry, especially if there are multiple units. Consumers often transport liquids and/or breakable items by car, rail, boat, and other means. Bottled liquids are carried during sports activities including skiing, camping, fishing, hiking, and biking Accordingly, improved convenient leak-resistant carriers are needed.